Flash Blog: Puffing Billy

A message on Twitter asking if I'd like to take part in a Flash Mob? What's not to like - let's all meet up somewhere at a prearranged time and do something stupid in front of lots of people!

Then I read it a bit closer - it was from Steve Rush...

Now I know Steve enjoys his whisky but I never took him for a dancer...

I read a little closer...

Those with a good memory probably recognise my words from above as I've used them before on a whisky flash blog - but this times things are a little different!

It's from a whisky distillery, although they are yet to release any whisky - maybe next year, but what they are doing is releasing gin and vodka.

This is vodka from the Borders Distillery but again this is a little different - this is Steam Vodka made from Malted Barley.

Puffing Billy Steam Vodka is unfiltered malted barley vodka. Locally-grown barley is pot-distilled into new make spirit - some of it is casked to start the journey towards whisky, but some is re-distilled in a Carterhead Still named Puffing Billy to turn it into vodka. Rather than regular filtration, which would strip away the character and texture of the barley, the spirit vapours are steamed through charcoal inside the still itself. This produces a unique vodka brimful of character with an incredible creamy mouthfeel.

Distillery tasting notes:  

"The malted barley gives Puffing Billy a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Its full rounded smoothness provides an excellent balance to sharp and dry mixer flavours like Tonic Water or Ginger Beer. 

The vodka has tropical fruit, citrus, and grassy notes in the nose. These delicate elements can work well with berry flavours or cherry. 

Alongside the creamy texture, there is a subtle malt character. This can balance stronger citrus flavours or sour fruits such as grapefruit, cranberry, or gooseberry."

My tasting notes:

Appearance: obviously crystal clear! 

Nose: this is a little like new make spirit - but smoother, it doesn't have the the raw meat notes I usually associate with new make - but does have lots of the fruit and berries notes I usually pick up. It's isn't as complex as whisky as it's not had the years of maturation in an oak cask.

Palate:

Neat: a smooth sweet arrival full of tropical fruit, citrus and cereal notes. It's a little buttery with a small kick of peppery spice.

I decided to try and enhance the citrus and tropical notes with two 'mixers': 

With Tonic Water: I used Fever Tree's Mediterranean Tonic Water which has a little rosemary and lemon thyme which I thought would add to the citrus notes of the vodka. There's more sweetness here - some herbal notes and enhanced citrus as expected,  there's also an unexpected dryness. This would make a lovely summer's day combination to go alongside a BBQ.

With Lilt: fizzy Pineapple & Grapefruit Juice definitely changes the colour, but what does it do to the taste? Surprisingly is takes away some of the sweetness, again gives a little dryness and enhances the tropical fruit notes. It's a little like that fruit punch you promise yourself you won't touch at a party but after a couple of glasses it like you're just drinking fruit juice! One strange side effect was that the bubbles from the Lilt seemed to last longer on the tongue - fizzing merrily! Another great summer drink!

Puffing Billy Carterhead Still - Picture: Puffing Billy